Gatwick Passengers (Hansard, 3 February 1994)

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for a nationwide operation this week to track down passengers who arrived at Gatwick on 21 December and who were given leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors; how many such operations he has authorised over the past year, to date; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
Where there is reason to believe that a passenger from the flight is in breach of the immigration laws, the case will be followed up in the usual way. No nationwide operation is planned, nor was such an operation conducted in 1993.
872W

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, columns 329–30, what is the total cost, to date, of removing passengers on flight ULE966, which landed at Gatwick on 21 December, who were refused entry to the United Kingdom, or granted temporary admission pending removal and removed including the costs of flights and escorts; what was the total cost of detention; where they were detained; if any third party is liable for meeting all or part of the costs of removal or detention; and if he will make a statement;
(2) pursuant to his answer of 25 January, Official Report, columns 162–63, what has been the total cost, to date, of removing from the United Kingdom passengers on flight BA1262 (KT310) which arrived at Gatwick on 15 December, including the costs of flights and escorts; what was the total cost of detaining other of those passengers; where they were detained; if any third party is liable for meeting all or part of the costs of removal or detention; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
Those passengers refused entry from flights ULE966 and BAl262 and not removed on the charter flight on 15 December were removed under arrangements made directly by the inbound carrier or its agents and the costs are a matter for them. The total detention cost is still being calculated. Those detained were held in detention accommodation at Gatwick, Newhaven and Campsfield house. Police and Prison Service accommodation was also used.
Where the carrying company or its agents are given directions under paragraph 8 of schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 to remove a passenger or to make arrangements to do so, they are responsible for all the costs involved, including those of any necessary in-flight escorts.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received, to date, from the Jamaican high commission in London concerning flight BA1262 (KT310) arriving at Gatwick on 15 December and flight ULE966 arriving at Gatwick on 21 December; what was the nature of those representations; what discussions have taken place between him and his officials and representatives of the high commission; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
The Immigration Service at Gatwick was in touch with the Jamaican high commission on the days of arrival of both flights.
As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member on 11 January at column 147 the high commission has maintained a close interest in the treatment of its nationals who were refused entry. A representative of the high commission was among a delegation I met on 18 January.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 329–30, what are (a) the names, (b) the ages and (c) the sex of the passengers on flight ULE966 arriving at Gatwick on 21 December who have absconded from temporary admission; what were the terms of the temporary admission which they were granted; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
It is normal practice not to disclose the names of individual passengers. Of the six referred to in my earlier reply, five are females aged 14,16, 873W 20, 23 and 25 and one is a male aged 16. One further female refused entry, aged 33, failed to report back from temporary admission on 26 January. A woman aged 25 also absconded from temporary admission before a decision was reached in her case.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what period those Jamaican citizens who arrived at Gatwick on 21 December on flight ULE966 and were given leave to enter the United Kingdom were allowed to enter.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
The majority sought entry as visitors and were given leave to enter for six months; 20 were given leave to enter until 17 January 1994.

§ Mr. Madden
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 27 January,Official Report, column 329–30, what were the ages and sex of the children aged 16 years or under who arrived on flight ULE966 who were refused entry; if any were travelling unaccompanied; were any of the 10 who were removed from the United Kingdom were travelling unaccompanied; what is the age and sex of the child who has absconded from temporary admission; and if the child was accompanied.

§ Mr. Charles Wardle
Of the 14 children referred to in my earlier reply seven are male and seven are female. Details of their ages are as follows:

3 aged 16

1 aged 14

2 aged 13

1 aged 12

3 aged 11

1 aged 9

1 aged 8

1 aged 4

1 aged 3.

Four were unaccompanied. Four of the 10 children so far removed were unaccompanied. Three children have now absconded, a male aged 16 and two females aged 16 and 14, one of whom arrived unaccompanied.